On our quick trip to Rob's grandmother's house last weekend, we had a chance to go through his late grandfather's extensive and dusty library and take home whatever books we wanted. It was magnificently fun.
A little background: Mr. H -- actually Lt. Colonel (retired) H -- was an officer in Army intelligence during the Cold War and learned Chinese and Russian. He also served in India, Burma and Algiers in World War II, as well as Korea (after that war). The family lived in many exotic places during his career, including Okinawa, Thailand and Germany. Needless to say, his library was fascinating and diverse.
Here are the books we brought back with us. The majority of them are very, very old. (I included some very fun chapter titles for a couple of them.)
BOOKS FROM THE GRANDFATHER'S LIBRARY
The Song Of Hiawatha (two copies - an extremely old one and an even older leather bound one)
American Poetry (1671-1928)
The Year Out Of Doors
The Boat United And Other Poems, a translation of Tang poems in wood with original poems in Chinese Calligraphy (this book has some incredible artwork in it. I'll have to scan some.)
Joseph Wood Krutch Herbal
Driving To Biloxi (poems by Edgar Simmons)
Scribner Magazine, Winter 1996
Ducks At A Distance, a waterfowl identification guide (small booklet)
Guide To Spirits and Liqueurs
Riley Songs Of Home (by James Whitcomb Riley)
Ginseng And Other Medicinal Plants
Translations From The ChineseT(by Arthur Waley)
Heidi (children's picture book version)
The S.D.N Theory Of Music Rudiments
Webster's New World Vest Pocket Dictionary (so tiny & cute)
The Grapes of Wrath (by John Steinbeck)
Nicholas And Alexandra (by Robert K Massie)
Marie Antoinette, The Journey (by Antonia Fraser)
In Dubious Battle (by John Steinbeck)
The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (by Alison Weir)
An Introduction To Bird Life For Bird Watchers (by Aretas A Saunders)
Volumes II, III and IV of The Harbrace History Of England
Pigeon Flight (by Mary Stolz) - a juvenile fiction book
The Boy's Book Of New Inventions (Harry E Maule) -- check out the chapter titles
The Aeroplane
Artificial Lighting Made And Harnessed To Man's Use
The Motion Picture Machine
The Tesla Turbine
The Romance of Concrete
The Wireless Telegraph Up To The Minute (What would they think of Twitter??)
Steel Boiled Like Water And Cut Like Paper
New Engines Of War (aeroplanes, balloons, submarines)
Les Miserables (by Victor Hugo)
The Conquest Of Everest (by Sir John Hunt)
American Boy Adventure Stories
Foxfire 4 (includes fiddle making, springhouses, sassafras tea, etc.)
Basic Russian Book 2 (we got book one last time)
A Practical Guide For The Beginning Farmer
Haji Of The Elephants
The American Boys Handy Book (chapters below)
Count Of Monte Cristo, Illustrated (by Alexander Dumas)
World Enough And Time (by Robert Penn Warren)
A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court (by Mark Twain)
The Tale Of Mr. Tod (by Beatrix Potter)
The Pilgrim's Progress (by John Bunyan)
A Wrinkle In Time & A Swiftly Tilting Planet (by Madeleine L'Engle)
Hamlet (very small & cute book)
Modern American Poetry (copyright 1921)
Poetry Of The People: Ballads, Lays of Heroism, And National Songs
How To Live On Nothing (by Joan Ranson Shortney)
The Stranger (by Albert Camus)
Flowers, a Guide To Familiar American Wildflowers
Clocks And Watches
Unfortunately, we had to leave hundreds and hundreds more behind. He had so very many about World War II, including official Army booklets analyzing the battle strategies on the different fronts during the war. It was amazing.
American Boy Adventure Stories
Foxfire 4 (includes fiddle making, springhouses, sassafras tea, etc.)
Basic Russian Book 2 (we got book one last time)
A Practical Guide For The Beginning Farmer
Haji Of The Elephants
The American Boys Handy Book (chapters below)
Novel Modes of FishingTracks And Tracking (by Josef Brunner)
How To Camp Out Without A Tent
Home-Made Boats
Knots, Bends, and Hitches
Practical Taxidermy For Boys
Snowball Warfare
How To Make Various And Divers Whirligigs
Count Of Monte Cristo, Illustrated (by Alexander Dumas)
World Enough And Time (by Robert Penn Warren)
A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court (by Mark Twain)
The Tale Of Mr. Tod (by Beatrix Potter)
The Pilgrim's Progress (by John Bunyan)
A Wrinkle In Time & A Swiftly Tilting Planet (by Madeleine L'Engle)
Hamlet (very small & cute book)
Modern American Poetry (copyright 1921)
Poetry Of The People: Ballads, Lays of Heroism, And National Songs
How To Live On Nothing (by Joan Ranson Shortney)
The Stranger (by Albert Camus)
Flowers, a Guide To Familiar American Wildflowers
Clocks And Watches
Unfortunately, we had to leave hundreds and hundreds more behind. He had so very many about World War II, including official Army booklets analyzing the battle strategies on the different fronts during the war. It was amazing.
